Apparatus for simultaneously actuating standpipe lid,damper valve and steam valve

ABSTRACT

MECHANISM TO ACUTE SIMULTANEOUSLY A STANDPIPE LID, DAMPER VALVE AND STEAM VALVE INCLUDES TWO ROTARY ACTUATORS MOUNTED TO THE LARRY CAR EACH HAVING AN ARM THAT ENGAGES AND ROTATES LINAGE TO ACTUATE THE STANDPIPE LID, DAMPER VALVE AND STEAM VALVE.

y 25, 1971 L. G. TUCKER 3,580,815

APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ACTUATING STANDPIPE LID, DAMPER VALVE AND STEAM VALVE Filed Jan. 30, 1969 FIG. 2

I NVENTOR. ulywooo a rum 2 United States Patent Oifice 3,580,815 APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ACTUAT- ING STANDPIPE LID, DAMPER VALVE AND STEAM VALVE Linwood G. Tucker, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Koppers Company Filed Jan. 30, 1969, Ser. No. 795,185 Int. Cl. (31% 27/06 U.S. Cl. 202-258 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Mechanism to actuate simultaneously a standpipe lid, damper valve and steam valve includes two rotary actuators mounted to the larry car each having an arm that engages and rotates linkage to actuate the standpipe lid, damper valve and steam valve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The usual coke oven battery is equipped with one or more ascension pipes for each coking chamber to carry the volatile products of combustion that are liberated during the coking process into the collecting mains running along the sides of the coke oven battery. In passing from an ascension pipe that communicates with the coking chamber, gases of combustion traverse a gooseneck elbow that leads the gases into the collecting main.

The standpipe elbow is provided with an outer lid and an inner damper valve, as well as a steam nozzle from which steam flows into the elbow.

One of the problems in operating a coke oven battery is to close the damper valve and to open the lid simultaneously. Heretofore, the damper valve has been closed and the lid opened manually, but such operations are slow and the work is arduous and is generally a very disagreeable task.

The present invention obviates the manual operation of the lid and damper valves in a way that is simple and effective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Apparatus for opening a standpipe lid and closing a damper valve includes a rotary actuator mounted on a larry car and having an arm engageable with a lever connected to the damper valve and by link mechanism to the standpipe lid whereby when the lever pivots the lid opens 130 and the damper valve closes through 30 Similar actuator means pivots the lever to close the lid and open the damper valve and also to actuate a valve that controls the flow of fluid into the standpipe when the standpipe lid is closed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING One embodiment of the drawing is illustrated in the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of a standpipe equipped with apparatus in accordance with the in vention; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates a typical transverse section at the upper corner of a coke oven battery and the apparatus 11 there shown includes a vertical ascension pipe or standpipe 13 that communicates with a coking chamber; a standpipe elbow (comprising two flanged and bolted portions) 15; and a gas collecting main 17 with which the elbow 15 communicates.

Within the gas collecting main 17 there is a damper valve 19 that is pivotally mounted as shown to a shaft 21 that extends outside of the collecting main 17 and to which is secured an operating lever 23 and an arm 25 to which a counterweight 27 is fixed. In FIG. 1 the damper valve 19 is open and a conventional standpipe lid 29 is closed.

The standpipe lid 29 is hinged as at 31 about a shaft 33 that extends outwardly and that supports a bell crank 35. One end of the bell crank 35, the upper end 37 as shown in FIG. 1, is forked to pivotally connect one end of an articulated link 39 that has a forked other end that is pivotally connected to the operating lever 23. The forked other end of the articulated link 39 has oval holes 41 which admits of some movement of the operating lever 23 before movement of the articulated link 39.

The other end 43 of the bell crank 35, in the position shown in FIG. 1, contacts the articulated link 39 at the location of the pivot pin 45 in the joint of the articulated link 39.

The standpipe elbow 15 is provided with a steam nozzle 47 that is connected to conduit 49 in which a flow control valve 51 is located. A valve operating link 53 connects the flow control valve 51 with a resiliently biased foot plate 55 mounted to the outside of the elbow 15 that is vertically movable.

One of the problems in connecting together the standpipe lid 29 and the damper valve 19 for simultaneous operation is that the damper valve 19 pivots through an angle of only 30 from the open to the closed position, whereas, the standpipe lid 29 pivots through an angle of about 130 from closed to open position.

Pivotal movement of the operating lever 23 to accomplish the simultaneous opening of the standpipe lid 29 and the closing of the damper valve 19 is effected in the followmg manner.

Two rotary actuators 57, 59 are mounted in tandem fashion to platform extensions 61, 63 on a conventional larry car 65 that travels in the usual manner along the top of a coke oven battery. The rotary actuators are or may be similar to those marketed and sold by Houdaille Industries Co., Buffallo, N.Y., under the name Hydraulic Rotary Actuator. Other suitable rotary actuators may be used if preferred.

Rotary actuator 57 is provided with an arm 67 on the free end of which is mounted a contact roller 69. In like manner, rotary actuator 59 is provided with an arm 71, to which is mounted, about where shown in FIG. 1, a contact roller 73. The arm 71, however, extends beyond the contact roller 73 and to the free end of the arm 71 there is mounted a magnet 75.

Now, to close the damper valve 19 and open the standpipe lid 29 simultaneously, the following operations are performed.

The larry car 65 is positioned on target that would provide the desired alignment of the actuator arms 67, 71 with the operating lever 23. The larry car operator would then manipulate controls or push buttons in a control console located in the larry car that would actuate the motive power for the rotary actuators. Such motive power may be an electric motor, hydraulic motor or any other suitable power source.

Rotary actuator 57 is first activated to pivot the arm 67 from initial position A to contact position B, where shown in solid lines in FIG. 1. The arm contacting roller 69 engages the free end portion of the operating lever 23 and pivots the operating lever counterclockwise about shaft 21. Immediately the operating lever 23 pivots counterclockwise, the damper valve 19 commences to pivot likewise toward closure. Just after pivoting of the operating lever 23 commences, the articulated link 39 is urged downward. The end 43 of the bell crank, being contiguous with the articulated link 39 acts as a fulcrum and a force is applied to the upper end 37 of the bell crank that urges the standpipe lid 29 to pivot clockwise.

The arm 67 continues to pivot clockwise from position B to position C; it having moved operating lever 23 through an angle of about 30 to position 23a. When the operating lever 23 reaches position C, the damper valve 19 will have reached its closed position 19a and the standpipe lid 29 will have reached its open position 29a, as indicated in FIG. 1.

After the damper valve 19 has been closed and the standpipe lid opened in the manner indicated, the rotary actuator 57 is reversed and the actuating arm 67 and roller 69 return to the initial position A.

When it is desired to charge a coking chamber with fresh coal, it is necessary to close the standpipe lid and open the damper valve simultaneously. The following operations are carried out to accomplish this. The larry car is again spotted at the oven to be charged and the coal charging boots are lowered on all charging holes; the changing hole lids having been removed before lowering the boots.

Rotary actuator 59 is then activated to pivot its arm 71 counterclockwise from its initial position R to contact position S where the roller 73 engages the underneath surface of the operating lever 23, now in position 2311. Further counterclockwise pivotal movement of the arm 71, pivots the operating lever clockwise about the shaft 21. The operating lever 23 pushes upward on the articulated link 39 whereupon the bell crank 35 would pivot counterclockwise. The standpipe lid 29 would pivot counterclockwise from position 29a through an angle of about degrees and then would fall to the closed position.

The actuator arm 71 continues to pivot counterclockwise until it moves the operating lever 23 back to its initial position; the actuator arm being then in position T. As the actuator arm approaches the position T, the magnet 75, which may be an electromagnet or a permanent type magnet, contacts the foot plate 55 and pushes the operating link 53 upward. Upward movement of the operating link 53 opens the valve 51 whereupon steam in conduit 49 is emitted from the nozzle 47 into the standpipe elbow, as suggested in FIG. 1.

The actuating arm 71 and magnet 75 remain in position T until the coking chamber is charged, the charging hole l-ids have been replaced and the coking chamber is sealed in the usual manner. Thereupon, the actuator 59 is reversed and actuating arm 71 pivots clockwise from position T back to initial position R. As the actuating arm 71 pivots clockwise from position T, the magnet 75 draws the foot plate 55 downward and the steam valve 51 closes. When the foot plate 55 reaches its initial position, a stop (not shown) prevents further downward movement of the foot plate; magnetic contact with the magnet is broken and the actuating arm 71 moves rapidly to initial position R.

In some instances where double collecting mains are employedone extending along each side of the coke oven battery, another pair of tandem actuators can be arranged on the larry car so that the damper valves and standpipe lids on both sides of the coking chamber may be operated simultaneously. In such applications, it is sometimes desirable to close the damper valve on one side of the battery from two to four hours before the oven is vented to atmosphere before pushing of coke from a chamber. In

such cases, all of the coke oven gas is forced to pass through the companion damper valve on the other side of the coke oven. To eifect early closing of the damper valve, a detachable connection may be manually disconnected at the point where the link connects to the damper valve operating lever. The standpipe lid may, in such instances, be opened by means of the mechanism described herein. Or, the link may be detached from the damper valve operating lever by remotely controlled mechanism such as an electrically energized magnetic connection,

Although the apparatus described herein is intended to operate by power actuated means, it will be understood that the operating lever may be actuated manually to effect simultaneous operation of the damper valve and the standpipe lid.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coke oven battery equipped with a larry car for charging coal into a coking chamber and with a standpipe in communication with said coking chamber, said standpipe having a damper valve and a standpipe lid, the combination with said damper valve and said standpipe lid of:

(a) a first lever connected to said damper valve for opening and closing said damper valve;

(b) a second lever connected to said standpipe lid for opening and closing said standpipe lid;

(c) a link connecting said first and second levers whereby both levers move simultaneously; and

(d) first and second rotary actuators mounted on said larry car, each actuator having an arm that is pivotable for engaging and moving said first lever, said first actuator moving said lever in one direction to open said standpipe lid and close said damper valve and said second actuator moving said lever in the opposite direction to close said standpipe lid and open said damper valve.

2. The invention of claim 1 including:

(a) means to introduce fluid into said standpipe;

(b) means for controlling the flow of said fluid into said standpipe; and

(0) means on said second arm that coacts with said means for controlling the flow of fluid to admit said fluid into said standpipe when said standpipe lid closes.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said second lever is a bell crank with one end pivotally connected to said link and with the other end in contiguity with said link when said standpipe lid is closed and said damper valve is open.

4. In a coke oven battery equipped with a larry car for charging coal into a coking chamber and with a standpipe in communication with said coking chamber, said standpipe having a damper valve and a standpipe lid, the combination with said damper valve and said standpipe lid of:

(a) a first lever connected to said damper valve for opening and closing said damper valve;

(b) a second lever connected to said standpipe lid for opening and closing said standpipe lid;

(c) a link connecting said first and second levers whereby both levers move simultaneously;

(d) a first actuator mounted on said larry car and having a first arm that is rotatable to engage and pivot said first lever in one direction whereby said standpipe lid opens and simultaneously said damper valve closes;

(e) a second actuator mounted on said larry car and having a second arm that is rotatable to engage and pivot said first lever in a direction opposite said one direction to close said standpipe lid and to open said damper valve;

(f) a nozzle in said standpipe for flowing fluid thereinto;

( g) means for controlling the flow of fluid tosaid nozzle; and

(h) means on said second arm that coacts with said means for controlling the flow of fluid to admit fluid to said nozzle and into said standpipe when said standpipe lid closes.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein:

(a) said second lever is a bell crank with one end pivotally connected to said link and with the other end in contiguity with said link when said standpipe lid is closed and said damper valve is open;

(b) said link is articulated and is pivotally connected to said first lever; and

(c) said standpipe lid pivots through an angle of 130 from closed to open position while said damper valve pivots through an angle of 30 from open to closed position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner 10 D. EDWARDS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

